:John Howard Purnell
{{Short description|Welsh chemist (1925–1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox scientist
| honorific_prefix = Professor
| name = John Howard Purnell
| honorific_suffix = OBE
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|08|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Rhondda
| death_date = {{Death date and age |1996|01|12|1925|08|17|df=y}}
| death_place = Swansea
| residence =
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| alma_mater = Cardiff University, University of Cambridge
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| known_for = Chemistry, Gas Chromatography
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| signature = {{infobox officeholder|embed=yes
| office = Swansea University Head of Chemistry Department
| order = 4th & 5th
| term_start = 1970
| term_end = 1984
| predecessor = Cedric Hassall
| successor = Andrew Pelter
| term_start1 = 1988
| term_end1 = 1990
| predecessor1 = Andrew Pelter
| successor1 = Keith Smith
| office3 = President, Royal Society of Chemistry
| term_start3 = 1994
| term_end3 = 1996
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 = Professor E.W. Abel
}}
}}
John Howard Purnell OBE FRSC{{cite web|url=http://www.swansea.ac.uk/alumni/our-alumni/honoraryawards/a-zofhonoraryawards/|title=Swansea University, Honorary Awards|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128113512/http://www.swansea.ac.uk/alumni/our-alumni/honoraryawards/a-zofhonoraryawards/|archive-date=2015-01-28}} (17 August 1925 Rhondda, South Wales — 12 January 1996 Swansea, Wales){{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-professor-howard-purnell-1324382.html|title=Obituary in the Independent|website=Independent.co.uk |date=17 January 1996 }} was a Welsh chemist.
Education
He attended Maes y Dderwen County School in Ystradgynlais before attending Pentre Secondary School.{{cite web|url=http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/27/art%253A10.1007%252FBF02274187.pdf?auth66=1422371832_69aa1e5f5b67870c1912a8fbe5e4403b&ext=.pdf|title=Article in Chromarographia}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
After graduating with a first class honours in chemistry at University College, Cardiff in 1946 he went on to the University of Wales and received a PhD in 1952.
Career
Purnell began to work in the field of gas chromatography in this field in 1952 at Cambridge University while working with Professor R. G. W. Norrish. In 1965 he became Professor of Physical Chemistry at University College, Swansea where he remained until his retirement in 1992.{{c}}
He was president of the Royal Society of Chemistry between 1994 and 1996.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}
Honors and awards
- 1971 Beilby Medal and Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry{{cite web|url=http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Awards/Beilby/winners.asp|title= Beilby Medal and Prize Previous Winners|publisher= Royal Society of Chemistry|access-date=19 May 2018}}
- 1992 Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 1992 New Year Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Royal Society of Chemistry|state=collapsed}}
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Category:Alumni of Cardiff University
Category:Alumni of the University of Wales
Category:Academics of Swansea University